I can't believe that I'll be halfway done with teaching at the end of this week. Honestly, the teaching makes the time just fly by. I always have a lot of grading and preparation to do in the evening. For instance, I'm back at the internet cafe right now because I need to print off examples of letters and persuasive writing. Then I have to make posters of said examples. Then I have to work on grading, and I have a LOT of grading to do. All tonight!
It actually makes me a bit worried for teaching. There is so much extra work beyond just classroom hours. There's lesson planning, and planning and organizing good lessons takes time. You have to plan the content as well as plan for possible management issues. Okay, then you have to seek out the material you need for your lessons. Then you have to put that material into a student-accessible format. You have to plan assessment material like tests, projects, rubrics, etc. Here, you have to grade student work for 100+ students, and in a timely manner because the department head needs them by Friday (for real). In the states, you have to get them up on an e-gradebook so students (and parents, eek!) can access them online. Gasping for breath...
It kind of makes me hesitate at the thought of becoming a teacher. But then I remember how much easier it is to organize things back in the states. Most US teachers don't have to submit requests for copies to the secretary - they do the copies themselves. An American teacher doesn't have to buy their own poster paper, markers, and tape. US teachers don't have to carry their chalk (usually whiteboard markers, now) from class to class. When I return to Duluth, I'll have internet access nearly 100% of the time - I'll easily be able to come up with examples of all kinds of texts for students to look over. And I won't have to carry my paper grade book in a folder - I could put it in Excel! I wish I would have disregarded my professors' advice and brought my laptop. Actually, they're wishing I would have, too.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
A Veggie Burger of a Weekend at Placencia
This trip really began Thursday evening when I returned home from the pier. Elana's granddaughter, Deja, was home. As soon as I walked through the door, she yelled at me excitedly and told me to go to the back veranda. Elana was there, along with a few of her many relatives, also excited, and so whatever was back there was something COOL. Turns out, it was a wild IGUANA! A live iguana that Howard had purchased from a vendor alongside the road. It wasn't tied up, but it's legs were placed in a position (behind its back and tail) that apparently discouraged it from struggling. I could pick it up and hold it easily.
The following morning, Elana's relatives killed the iguana and roasted it. They then took it back over to Elana, who made iguana curry. When I returned home after school on Friday in order to pick up my things for the Placencia trip, Elana had iguana curry ready for me. I ate it on the bus, and it was delicious. Iguana really does taste like chicken, although the eggs tasted a bit sweeter and were more moist. Yes, iguana eggs. Pictures coming soon :)
The eight of us (all the UMD students, minus Garnet, but plus a volunteer from Seattle named Matt) took the 3:00 PM James Company bus up to Independence. The ride in the coach bus was bumpy, but comfortable. It took about 1.5 hours for us to reach Independence, where we took a water taxi to the small town of Placencia. I believe that there's a road into Placencia, but it would have taken us much longer to get there by bus. By taking the water taxi, we were able to view the wide expanses of mangroves that make up the lagoons around Placencia. We did not see any crocodiles, but they were doubtlessly present. The taxi driver was exceptionally nice.
When we arrived in Placencia, we looked around for a place to stay. We ended up staying in two cabanas owned by a company called Trade Winds. The cabanas had names: Venus and SeaStar. The cabanas were as close to the ocean as you could possibly get - right on the beach, surrounded by palm trees, and about 30m away from the water. The cost was split between 8 people, so we ended up paying around US$15 per person, per night. I ended up spending $35 total on housing. For a place on the beach, hot water, hammocks, refridgerator and coffee pot included. So, if traveling in Belize, I highly recommend staying with a bunch of people at Trade Winds (if you're looking for good + cheap). The first thing I did when I went inside was throw my things on the floor, change into my suit, and jump in the ocean. I then proceeded to find a big red starfish. I expected it to be squishy, but it wasn't. It was pretty rough and bumpy, like studded leather.
After settling in, we went looking for a place to have dinner. I believe that the name of the place where we dined was called The Amigos Bar. They had a decent menu, and I became excited when I saw the words "veggie burger." Thinking of the delicous wild rice burgers and soy burgers of the Duluth area, I ordered a veggie burger (with cheese added). A culture clash ensued. Afterwards, Matt told me that he had heard the server acknowledge my request for cheese with the phrase "Cheese on vegetables? Okay..." Note to self - ask about food before you order it. What I ended up getting was a bun with cheese and fresh vegetables on it, along with something like McDonald's "special" Big Mac sauce. Exactly like a cheeseburger, but without the burger. I was thinking Why call it a veggie burger? It's got no burger. Just vegetables on a bun. It's a vegetable sandwich.
Well, the veggie "burger" provided a lot of entertainment throughout the rest of the dinner, which was needed because of another cultural difference: in Belizean restaurants, they serve the meals as they are ready. One person gets to start eating while everyone else waits. In American restaurants, they serve a group their meals all at once. So everyone got to laugh at my burger mishap while they were waiting for their food (and likely waiting with increased apprehension as to the possible nature of that food). Eventually, the term "veggie burger" came to be defined as "something that is good, but not quite what you expected."
The VB term actually came to apply to the weekend as a whole. After dinner we returned to our cabana; we planned to go out later that night. Well, then it started raining. Hard. We tried going out, running through the rain in search of a place to have some fun; we were soaked within 5 minutes. I hate being cold and wet more than almost anything else, so I gave up and returned to the cabana. The rest of the group was braver - but definitely wetter. The rain didn't let up until the following night. It wasn't a constant rain, but it rained just often enough and just hard enough to prevent the beach weekend of our fantasies to become reality. Make no mistake - we had a lot of fun. But most of our clothes were wet by the end of Saturday night. Thankfully, it did clear up on Sunday. We spent most of the day in Placencia on Sunday, taking the 4:30 bus out of Independence to return to Punta Gorda. It was enough to get sunburnt, do some snorkeling, and dry out all our clothes.
One other interesting incident was that of the Strange Music-Selling Man. This guy followed Lana back to our residence, which in itself isn't strange since there are many mobile vendors around the island. They stop by all the cabanas in order to sell their goods. This guy was selling CDs. I, having just returned from a run, was feeling pretty good, so I bought an album. No one else showed any interest, so I expected him to take off pretty soon. I headed for the shower, and when I came out - he was still there. He hung around for something like a half hour before he left, just standing in the doorway, watching people play cards...Anyway, that was fine. It was raining, after all. But he returned much later in the evening. We were all inside playing a card game called Hockey, and he just showed up at our door uninvited. We didn't really know what to do. One might judge his behavior as rude by [some] American standards, but Belizean? And really, having random people show up is pretty normal in college parties. Everyone seemed all right with his presence. I, not being one to often go to college parties, was kind of weirded out by this guy. This was especially the case when he ended up joining Lana, Andy, and me at a dance hosted by The Barefoot Bar. And then it got a bit too creepy. So Lana and I ran away (sorry, Andy!)
Well, my time at the internet cafe must soon end. Pictures and more stories about student teaching will be forthcoming. ~LN
The following morning, Elana's relatives killed the iguana and roasted it. They then took it back over to Elana, who made iguana curry. When I returned home after school on Friday in order to pick up my things for the Placencia trip, Elana had iguana curry ready for me. I ate it on the bus, and it was delicious. Iguana really does taste like chicken, although the eggs tasted a bit sweeter and were more moist. Yes, iguana eggs. Pictures coming soon :)
The eight of us (all the UMD students, minus Garnet, but plus a volunteer from Seattle named Matt) took the 3:00 PM James Company bus up to Independence. The ride in the coach bus was bumpy, but comfortable. It took about 1.5 hours for us to reach Independence, where we took a water taxi to the small town of Placencia. I believe that there's a road into Placencia, but it would have taken us much longer to get there by bus. By taking the water taxi, we were able to view the wide expanses of mangroves that make up the lagoons around Placencia. We did not see any crocodiles, but they were doubtlessly present. The taxi driver was exceptionally nice.
When we arrived in Placencia, we looked around for a place to stay. We ended up staying in two cabanas owned by a company called Trade Winds. The cabanas had names: Venus and SeaStar. The cabanas were as close to the ocean as you could possibly get - right on the beach, surrounded by palm trees, and about 30m away from the water. The cost was split between 8 people, so we ended up paying around US$15 per person, per night. I ended up spending $35 total on housing. For a place on the beach, hot water, hammocks, refridgerator and coffee pot included. So, if traveling in Belize, I highly recommend staying with a bunch of people at Trade Winds (if you're looking for good + cheap). The first thing I did when I went inside was throw my things on the floor, change into my suit, and jump in the ocean. I then proceeded to find a big red starfish. I expected it to be squishy, but it wasn't. It was pretty rough and bumpy, like studded leather.
After settling in, we went looking for a place to have dinner. I believe that the name of the place where we dined was called The Amigos Bar. They had a decent menu, and I became excited when I saw the words "veggie burger." Thinking of the delicous wild rice burgers and soy burgers of the Duluth area, I ordered a veggie burger (with cheese added). A culture clash ensued. Afterwards, Matt told me that he had heard the server acknowledge my request for cheese with the phrase "Cheese on vegetables? Okay..." Note to self - ask about food before you order it. What I ended up getting was a bun with cheese and fresh vegetables on it, along with something like McDonald's "special" Big Mac sauce. Exactly like a cheeseburger, but without the burger. I was thinking Why call it a veggie burger? It's got no burger. Just vegetables on a bun. It's a vegetable sandwich.
Well, the veggie "burger" provided a lot of entertainment throughout the rest of the dinner, which was needed because of another cultural difference: in Belizean restaurants, they serve the meals as they are ready. One person gets to start eating while everyone else waits. In American restaurants, they serve a group their meals all at once. So everyone got to laugh at my burger mishap while they were waiting for their food (and likely waiting with increased apprehension as to the possible nature of that food). Eventually, the term "veggie burger" came to be defined as "something that is good, but not quite what you expected."
The VB term actually came to apply to the weekend as a whole. After dinner we returned to our cabana; we planned to go out later that night. Well, then it started raining. Hard. We tried going out, running through the rain in search of a place to have some fun; we were soaked within 5 minutes. I hate being cold and wet more than almost anything else, so I gave up and returned to the cabana. The rest of the group was braver - but definitely wetter. The rain didn't let up until the following night. It wasn't a constant rain, but it rained just often enough and just hard enough to prevent the beach weekend of our fantasies to become reality. Make no mistake - we had a lot of fun. But most of our clothes were wet by the end of Saturday night. Thankfully, it did clear up on Sunday. We spent most of the day in Placencia on Sunday, taking the 4:30 bus out of Independence to return to Punta Gorda. It was enough to get sunburnt, do some snorkeling, and dry out all our clothes.
One other interesting incident was that of the Strange Music-Selling Man. This guy followed Lana back to our residence, which in itself isn't strange since there are many mobile vendors around the island. They stop by all the cabanas in order to sell their goods. This guy was selling CDs. I, having just returned from a run, was feeling pretty good, so I bought an album. No one else showed any interest, so I expected him to take off pretty soon. I headed for the shower, and when I came out - he was still there. He hung around for something like a half hour before he left, just standing in the doorway, watching people play cards...Anyway, that was fine. It was raining, after all. But he returned much later in the evening. We were all inside playing a card game called Hockey, and he just showed up at our door uninvited. We didn't really know what to do. One might judge his behavior as rude by [some] American standards, but Belizean? And really, having random people show up is pretty normal in college parties. Everyone seemed all right with his presence. I, not being one to often go to college parties, was kind of weirded out by this guy. This was especially the case when he ended up joining Lana, Andy, and me at a dance hosted by The Barefoot Bar. And then it got a bit too creepy. So Lana and I ran away (sorry, Andy!)
Well, my time at the internet cafe must soon end. Pictures and more stories about student teaching will be forthcoming. ~LN
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Noisy Classes are Noisy
Today I brought the pain. But afterwords, I wished I hadn't.
One of my classes (the one with 39 students, not 41) talks incessantly. It's nearly impossible for them to be silent for more than a few seconds at a time. So, after a weeks' worth of frustration and threats, I finally did something about it. I gave every single student demerits. In hindsight, probably not a good thing. Not every student was talking (though most were). If they won't be quiet for class or for me, they'll hopefully be quiet for each other - that was my thinking. Still, it's too unfair, isn't it? So now I'm going to try to go the positive reinforcement route versus the positive punishment one; I'm going to buy a bag of candy right after I leave the internet cafe from which I'm typing. Next week, I'll use dimes. Hopefully that will work, because I'm running out of ideas!
I will be tutoring a few soccer players starting next week. They're failing English or math (or both) and therefore need tutoring in order to be able to remain on the team. I'm very excited, because tutoring will give me an opportunity to really develop my ability to teach kids reading skills. Once I find things that work with individual students, I can try to develop them into whole-classroom lessons. And the students get to (1) improve their language skills and (2) stay on the soccer team! It's mutually beneficial.
Last thing for today - I saw a rhinoceros beetle! Eddie found it near the school's field. It's monstrous. I took some pictures, and I'll try to get them up next weekend.
One of my classes (the one with 39 students, not 41) talks incessantly. It's nearly impossible for them to be silent for more than a few seconds at a time. So, after a weeks' worth of frustration and threats, I finally did something about it. I gave every single student demerits. In hindsight, probably not a good thing. Not every student was talking (though most were). If they won't be quiet for class or for me, they'll hopefully be quiet for each other - that was my thinking. Still, it's too unfair, isn't it? So now I'm going to try to go the positive reinforcement route versus the positive punishment one; I'm going to buy a bag of candy right after I leave the internet cafe from which I'm typing. Next week, I'll use dimes. Hopefully that will work, because I'm running out of ideas!
I will be tutoring a few soccer players starting next week. They're failing English or math (or both) and therefore need tutoring in order to be able to remain on the team. I'm very excited, because tutoring will give me an opportunity to really develop my ability to teach kids reading skills. Once I find things that work with individual students, I can try to develop them into whole-classroom lessons. And the students get to (1) improve their language skills and (2) stay on the soccer team! It's mutually beneficial.
Last thing for today - I saw a rhinoceros beetle! Eddie found it near the school's field. It's monstrous. I took some pictures, and I'll try to get them up next weekend.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Student Teaching and Armadillo
I'd like to begin this post by announcing an important event: I have eaten armadillo.
Elana made some yesterday. She never ceases to amaze me - it's like once she figured out that I will eat pretty much anything, she tries to find weird stuff for me to eat! Armadillo, though certainly a weird food in my book, is quite delicious. The meat tastes unlike anything I've eaten before, which makes sense since I've never eaten any insectivores. I think. Maybe I should keep better track of what I eat. One more thing on the subject of food. Today Elana made fresh-squeezed tangerine juice. I am SPOILED, and I told her so.
I started student teaching yesterday, and it is certainly challenging. I teach from 2-3 hours per day, and already I feel a bit stressed over my classes! I can't imagine what it's like having 5 or 6 different classes per day like some teachers have. I'd go out of my head. I'm sure many of them do, too. Anyway, classes are challenging. I spend my time trying to figure out ways of managing the 40 students per classroom, lesson plans that are both relevant and engaging to my multicultural students, and sending copy requests to the secretaries in the office. I received a dirty look from one of them today. My second day of teaching, and I've already asked them for 120 copies by Friday. Perhaps I should ease up a little.
I've also taken up the voluntary role of "Cafeteria Monitor." Our staffroom is very cramped, and I don't like taking up space from other (more legitimate) teachers, so I head down to the cool cafeteria (cool in temperature and in appearance) in order to get my work done. In doing so, I also get to send students who are skipping class to the vice principal's office. Feels good, being effective at something! Joking aside though, I am liking student teaching. There are good moments and bad moments, but the point of student teaching is to learn from the bad moments. I don't want to sound negative by saying this, but I'm learning a lot!
A few notable events from the last few days:
- I saw jellyfish yesterday
- The rain stopped (although the clouds have returned as I type this)
- The power went out yesterday and today
- We Americans have a new president, and everyone here is stoked even if they're Belizean
- A student at school yesterday caught a very sizable iguana, and I held it. BIG claws!
Elana made some yesterday. She never ceases to amaze me - it's like once she figured out that I will eat pretty much anything, she tries to find weird stuff for me to eat! Armadillo, though certainly a weird food in my book, is quite delicious. The meat tastes unlike anything I've eaten before, which makes sense since I've never eaten any insectivores. I think. Maybe I should keep better track of what I eat. One more thing on the subject of food. Today Elana made fresh-squeezed tangerine juice. I am SPOILED, and I told her so.
I started student teaching yesterday, and it is certainly challenging. I teach from 2-3 hours per day, and already I feel a bit stressed over my classes! I can't imagine what it's like having 5 or 6 different classes per day like some teachers have. I'd go out of my head. I'm sure many of them do, too. Anyway, classes are challenging. I spend my time trying to figure out ways of managing the 40 students per classroom, lesson plans that are both relevant and engaging to my multicultural students, and sending copy requests to the secretaries in the office. I received a dirty look from one of them today. My second day of teaching, and I've already asked them for 120 copies by Friday. Perhaps I should ease up a little.
I've also taken up the voluntary role of "Cafeteria Monitor." Our staffroom is very cramped, and I don't like taking up space from other (more legitimate) teachers, so I head down to the cool cafeteria (cool in temperature and in appearance) in order to get my work done. In doing so, I also get to send students who are skipping class to the vice principal's office. Feels good, being effective at something! Joking aside though, I am liking student teaching. There are good moments and bad moments, but the point of student teaching is to learn from the bad moments. I don't want to sound negative by saying this, but I'm learning a lot!
A few notable events from the last few days:
- I saw jellyfish yesterday
- The rain stopped (although the clouds have returned as I type this)
- The power went out yesterday and today
- We Americans have a new president, and everyone here is stoked even if they're Belizean
- A student at school yesterday caught a very sizable iguana, and I held it. BIG claws!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Finally, some photos!
All right. The bulk of my photos of Belize are in Facebook albums, but here are some highlights of the time I've spent here thus far. None of these are in any particular order.
Garnaches
Lubaantun
I ate this fish...and ate it well.
Flying in to PG on the puddle jumper.
View from the American Airlines jet.
Garnaches
Lubaantun
I ate this fish...and ate it well.
Flying in to PG on the puddle jumper.
View from the American Airlines jet.
Friday, January 16, 2009
2nd Week In Punta Gorda
Oh, yeah.
I had a very full week since my last post. Linda and Jim, professors from UMD, came down last Friday and guided us as we had a very eventful weekend.
I visited many members of Elana's family last Friday (I think - don't have my written journal handy at the moment). I helped Elana pick fresh grapefruit and tangerines off her sister's trees. Elana made grapefruit juice the following day - amazing!
Last Saturday night I went to the Reef, as they were hosting a Garifuna drumming group. I, and some of the UMD students, had a great time dancing. We left the Reef about midnight and went swimming off the pier.
Sunday was extremely busy. Linda, Jim, the UMD students, and I climbed into a charter van that Linda had arranged for us. We traveled up to Blue Creek (about an hour's drive) where we met with Garnet, who is teaching at Tumul Kin school. We enjoyed a tour of the school's facilities and met with students who were working on Sunday projects: music on the marimba, basket making, dancing, and weaving. Tumul Kin also has a food processing lab where they make products they sell to raise money for the school. Punta Gorda stores sell Tumul Kin products like honey, papaya jam, etc...you can get their products in the US by emailing them. I'll try to get the email address up tomorrow (along with pictures. Really, I mean it!)
After picking up Garnet in Tumul Kin, the group and I went to Lubaantun. Lubaantun is the site of an ancient Maya city; it is also where the mysterious Crystal Skull was found. Unfortunately, the Skull has not been returned to Belize by the family members of the person who found the artifact. It's somewhere in Indiana at the moment. The absence of the Crystal Skull was a bit disappointing, but the experience at Lubaantun was certainly not. The Belizean government has been working on reconstituting the site, rebuilding pieces of architecture that have been reduced to piles of stones over hundreds and hundreds of years.
After Lubaantun, the group and I went back to Blue Creek. On the way we saw an OCELOT jump across the road! We walked along the creek, which is actually tinted blue due to minerals in the water, until we reached our destination - a monstrous cave! I wasn't able to grab any pictures, because I didn't bring my camera. Why didn't I bring my camera...well, because it's not waterproof, and we were going to swim through the cave! The source of Blue Creek is a spring that lies deep within a large, easily accessible cavern. The trip in and out took about two hours of near-constant swimming. The water in the creek was much colder than in the ocean, and it took me a bit to acclimate to the temperature. How quickly my body forgets Minnesota...
After Blue Creek we visited the farm of one of Linda's friends. I was able to drink from a coconut, eat some sugar cane, and snap a few pictures of some parrots. :)
The last week at school has given me more opportunities to teach. Ms. Glendora had to be gone for the last two days, so I picked up all of her classes. I've had a very trying last two days, but that's part of student teaching. I take over two of Ms. Glendora's classes full-time on Monday, and my substitution experience has given me a lot of, shall we say, ammunition for next week. Bring it on, students - I'm ready to TEACH!
Again, I'll try to get pictures up tomorrow! ~LN
I had a very full week since my last post. Linda and Jim, professors from UMD, came down last Friday and guided us as we had a very eventful weekend.
I visited many members of Elana's family last Friday (I think - don't have my written journal handy at the moment). I helped Elana pick fresh grapefruit and tangerines off her sister's trees. Elana made grapefruit juice the following day - amazing!
Last Saturday night I went to the Reef, as they were hosting a Garifuna drumming group. I, and some of the UMD students, had a great time dancing. We left the Reef about midnight and went swimming off the pier.
Sunday was extremely busy. Linda, Jim, the UMD students, and I climbed into a charter van that Linda had arranged for us. We traveled up to Blue Creek (about an hour's drive) where we met with Garnet, who is teaching at Tumul Kin school. We enjoyed a tour of the school's facilities and met with students who were working on Sunday projects: music on the marimba, basket making, dancing, and weaving. Tumul Kin also has a food processing lab where they make products they sell to raise money for the school. Punta Gorda stores sell Tumul Kin products like honey, papaya jam, etc...you can get their products in the US by emailing them. I'll try to get the email address up tomorrow (along with pictures. Really, I mean it!)
After picking up Garnet in Tumul Kin, the group and I went to Lubaantun. Lubaantun is the site of an ancient Maya city; it is also where the mysterious Crystal Skull was found. Unfortunately, the Skull has not been returned to Belize by the family members of the person who found the artifact. It's somewhere in Indiana at the moment. The absence of the Crystal Skull was a bit disappointing, but the experience at Lubaantun was certainly not. The Belizean government has been working on reconstituting the site, rebuilding pieces of architecture that have been reduced to piles of stones over hundreds and hundreds of years.
After Lubaantun, the group and I went back to Blue Creek. On the way we saw an OCELOT jump across the road! We walked along the creek, which is actually tinted blue due to minerals in the water, until we reached our destination - a monstrous cave! I wasn't able to grab any pictures, because I didn't bring my camera. Why didn't I bring my camera...well, because it's not waterproof, and we were going to swim through the cave! The source of Blue Creek is a spring that lies deep within a large, easily accessible cavern. The trip in and out took about two hours of near-constant swimming. The water in the creek was much colder than in the ocean, and it took me a bit to acclimate to the temperature. How quickly my body forgets Minnesota...
After Blue Creek we visited the farm of one of Linda's friends. I was able to drink from a coconut, eat some sugar cane, and snap a few pictures of some parrots. :)
The last week at school has given me more opportunities to teach. Ms. Glendora had to be gone for the last two days, so I picked up all of her classes. I've had a very trying last two days, but that's part of student teaching. I take over two of Ms. Glendora's classes full-time on Monday, and my substitution experience has given me a lot of, shall we say, ammunition for next week. Bring it on, students - I'm ready to TEACH!
Again, I'll try to get pictures up tomorrow! ~LN
Saturday, January 10, 2009
First Week in Punta Gorda, Belize
My host mother's son, Owen, is home on break from the University of Houston, TX. He has graciously allowed me to use his computer, enabling me to share with you everything that, until now, has been stowed away in my journal.
My first week of student teaching in PG was busy, exciting, and filled with new things. I arrived last Friday, and the flight in on the Tropic Air puddle-jumper was spectacular. The color of the water along the barrier reef is beautiful. I'll soon have pictures up; be patient!
Over the last week I've become increasingly familiar with my host family: Elana, my host mom; Owen and Howard, her two sons; Deja, Howard's little girl who visits frequently. Elana is the best hostess anyone could ask for. She feeds me WAY too well, WAY too often! I try to repay her by doing the dishes, but I had to fight for that chore. Owen and Howard are great, too. Howard often gives me a ride to school in the morning, which is nice, because sometimes it rains.
It doesn't rain often, though. The climate is wonderful, but very hot. It is always above 80 degrees Farenheit during the day here. So, consequently, the rest of the UMD students and I are always up for a swim. The water is, of course, always perfect. Frigatebirds and brown pelicans are always visible near the shoreline. Inland, hummingbirds are a regular sight, as well as large boat-tailed grackles. I've seen many vultures and many common black hawks.
I've had many adventures during the last week. Last Sunday, Celia Mahung (our host family organizer) arranged for us to go on a kayaking trip up Joe Talyor Creek, a small creek north of town. The trip took about three hours, and we were able to take a dip in the stream halfway through the trip. We were mostly in the middle of the rainforest, surrounded by giant trees and tangled mangroves that grew out of the water. Small crabs clung to the mangrove roots, and we saw an iguana relaxing in the sun. I saw many yellow-crowned night herons, and I may have seen a crocodile...or it was an iguana, but I prefer to think it was a croc!
Thus far, I have completed five days at Toledo Community College, where I will shortly start teaching. My CT's (cooperating teacher) name is Ms. Glendora Guy. She is very intense, and expects a lot from her third and fourth form students. She is also a very good teacher, and I look forward to learning a great deal from her during the next two months. I've already addressed the two classes I will be teaching, and I've almost learned all 80 of their names (40 students per class). Next week I'll teach a couple mini-lessons in order to warm up for the following week, when I will take over two of Ms. Guy's classes full-time. Whoo!
Tomorrow, I will be heading up to Blue Creek and Tamul Kin (sp.?) to visit Garnet Mayo, one of the UMD students. Tamul Kin is a Mayan village. There are also Mayan ruins nearby (SWEET!) Our supervising professors are here to visit until Thursday.
More later!
My first week of student teaching in PG was busy, exciting, and filled with new things. I arrived last Friday, and the flight in on the Tropic Air puddle-jumper was spectacular. The color of the water along the barrier reef is beautiful. I'll soon have pictures up; be patient!
Over the last week I've become increasingly familiar with my host family: Elana, my host mom; Owen and Howard, her two sons; Deja, Howard's little girl who visits frequently. Elana is the best hostess anyone could ask for. She feeds me WAY too well, WAY too often! I try to repay her by doing the dishes, but I had to fight for that chore. Owen and Howard are great, too. Howard often gives me a ride to school in the morning, which is nice, because sometimes it rains.
It doesn't rain often, though. The climate is wonderful, but very hot. It is always above 80 degrees Farenheit during the day here. So, consequently, the rest of the UMD students and I are always up for a swim. The water is, of course, always perfect. Frigatebirds and brown pelicans are always visible near the shoreline. Inland, hummingbirds are a regular sight, as well as large boat-tailed grackles. I've seen many vultures and many common black hawks.
I've had many adventures during the last week. Last Sunday, Celia Mahung (our host family organizer) arranged for us to go on a kayaking trip up Joe Talyor Creek, a small creek north of town. The trip took about three hours, and we were able to take a dip in the stream halfway through the trip. We were mostly in the middle of the rainforest, surrounded by giant trees and tangled mangroves that grew out of the water. Small crabs clung to the mangrove roots, and we saw an iguana relaxing in the sun. I saw many yellow-crowned night herons, and I may have seen a crocodile...or it was an iguana, but I prefer to think it was a croc!
Thus far, I have completed five days at Toledo Community College, where I will shortly start teaching. My CT's (cooperating teacher) name is Ms. Glendora Guy. She is very intense, and expects a lot from her third and fourth form students. She is also a very good teacher, and I look forward to learning a great deal from her during the next two months. I've already addressed the two classes I will be teaching, and I've almost learned all 80 of their names (40 students per class). Next week I'll teach a couple mini-lessons in order to warm up for the following week, when I will take over two of Ms. Guy's classes full-time. Whoo!
Tomorrow, I will be heading up to Blue Creek and Tamul Kin (sp.?) to visit Garnet Mayo, one of the UMD students. Tamul Kin is a Mayan village. There are also Mayan ruins nearby (SWEET!) Our supervising professors are here to visit until Thursday.
More later!
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